Position Summary

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise - "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans? As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips. For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to http://www.vacareers.va.gov/ .

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

GS-09: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the federal service.

GS-10: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the federal service.

Specialized experience in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: ability to conduct interviews in a way which insures all pertinent information is elicited, provided and recorded; knowledge of public relations techniques, to act as a liaison between differing factions; ability to communicate clearly and concisely orally and in writing with people from a variety of backgrounds, conduct training and make presentations to various educational, government, and outside organizations; ability to plan and organize work, analyze written and numerical data, remain alert to discrepancies, draw conclusions, and make decisions or take corrective actions within strict time constraints; and ability to search out, interpret, apply and explain laws, rules, regulations, procedures and policies that apply to education benefits.

OR

Applicants may substitute education for the experience.

GS-09: Two full years (equivalent to 36 semester hours) of progressively higher level graduate education, a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree (such as LL.B. or J.D.)

GS-10: Two and one half years (equivalent to 45 semester hours) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (such as LL.M.)

It is the applicant's responsibility to provide documentation or proof that he or she has met the applicable educational requirements for substitution. Applications submitted without the required supporting documents will not be accepted. An unofficial transcript; statement from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official; or equivalent documentation is acceptable at the time of application. Education submitted must be appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. For additional information, refer to the U.S. Department of Education web site at http://www.ed.gov/.

OR

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify.

To calculate for GS-9, first identify the percentage of graduate level education you have earned beyond the first year. One year of graduate level education, unless otherwise defined by the school, is equivalent to 18 semester hours. To calculate for GS-9, first identify the amount of graduate level education you have earned beyond the first year. Compute that number of semester hours as a percentage of 36 semester hours. Then identify the number of months of specialized experience you have as a percentage of 12 months. Add the two percentages. If combined they meet 100 percent or more, then the combination is qualifying. Do the same calculation for GS-10, but take care this time to credit only the amount of graduate level education you have completed beyond two years (or greater than 36 semester hours).

Example: The position to be filled is at grade GS-9. You have 6 months of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7 and 1 year of graduate level education. You meet 50 percent of the required experience but none of the required education, since you do not have any graduate study beyond that which is required for GS-7. Therefore, you meet only 50 percent of the total requirement and you are not qualified for the position. (The first year of graduate study is not qualifying for GS-9.)

You will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other characteristics (KSAOs) as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

Knowledge of all education laws and regulations

Ability to draw conclusions
and make decisions based on an interpretation and/or understanding of complex
material.

Ability to analyze written
and numerical date

Skill in expressing oneself
orally in a clear, concise and logical manner with persons from a variety of
backgrounds and with various educational levels.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Conduct compliance surveys remotely or at approved schools and
establishments to verify that payments made to eligible students are in keeping
with VA regulations pertaining to the requirements for approval of courses, that
records are maintained, reporting requirements are met and that responsibilities
are adhered to by the training facilities and the VA.

Prepare for surveys by familiarizing self with approval files and reviewing
prior surveys and records contained in compliance files.

Review and audit school and company records to determine compliance with all
VA laws and regulations, as well as other applicable regulations.

Interview school or company officials, veterans and non-veteran students,
providing advice on veterans' benefits as requested.

Conduct investigations pertaining to compliance with provisions of Title VI
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972, Section 404 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Age Discrimination
Act of 1975.

Discuss results of survey with school officials and management officials.

Write a summary compliance survey report which indicates whether
discrepancies found on a prior survey have been corrected, documents any new
discrepancies, and describes what actions are required next.

Follow up on all discrepancies to be sure that corrective action is taken.

Recommend appropriate actions as necessary, such as further referrals to
other agencies, offices, committees, etc.

TRAVEL:

Requires
frequent travel with some overnight; which requires a valid U.S. driver's
license.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The work is mostly
sedentary in nature. Some light lifting,
stooping, and bending is required.

Benefits

BENEFITS

Working for the Department of Veterans Affairs offers a comprehensive benefits package. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered. For more information please visit us at http://www.va.gov/jobs/job_benefits/benefits.asp.

Information about the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
(ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that
exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective
factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: VA may offer newly-appointed federal employees, credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.